Picnic and Play in the Park: On Monday, August 14th from 5:30 p. m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Newton Centre Playground , 69 Tyler Terrace, for the launch of Newton: A City Built with History, A Future Built with Vision. Family friendly event! Free Cabot’s Ice Cream! For more details visit our website at www.newtonma.gov/vision.

Zoning Redesign: The Planning and Development Department is continuing with their Zoning Redesign Drop-In sessions this summer. Drop‐In on Wednesdays, August 16th and August 30th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Newton City Hall Room 106 to share your ideas with staff and ask questions about the City’s project redesign the zoning ordinance. All are welcome. On September 27th, 2017 the “Zoning Redesigning Event Series,” a nine-part series will
launch and will run to May, 2018. Each event is about a different topic and will be held at Newton Free Library, 300 Homer St. from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. You can find the series online and RSVP at http://courbanize.com/newtonzoning. For additional information, please contact James Freas by email: at jfreas@newtonma.gov org or zoningredesign@newtonma.gov .

The City Council will meet tonight, August 14th at 7:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The Reports Docket can be found here and the New Docket can be found here.

Please note:

The Programs and Services Committee and the Finance Committee will meet jointly tonight on August 14th at 6:45 p.m. in Room 211 to discuss the submission of the Charter Commission’s Report, request for $6400 from Budget Reserve to mail the Charter Commission’s Report, request to place the question of the proposed new charter on the ballot, recommendation to approve the Neighborhood Area Council’s election date to November 7th, Mayor’s request to reappoint Jan Huffman to the Election Commission, Mayor’s request to to reappoint Marjorie Butler to the Election Commission, President Lennon’s request to reappoint Carl Cohen to the BioSafety Committee, and a proposal to place a non-binding advisory question on the ballot – “Do you support rezoning village centers to allow four-and five- story buildings near public transit with retail on the first floor and and apartments above, as the City is recommending to update Newton’s Zoning Ordinance for future growth?”. The agenda can be found here. Please see the City Clerk’s memo to the Council regarding the various docket items – here.

The Public Facilities Committee will meet tonight on August 14th at 6:30 p.m. in Room 211 to discuss a petition for a grant of location to install a pole in front of 559 Centre Street and an anchor guy 100’+ in a northerly direction to upgrade existing service and a petition for a grant of location to install and maintain 200’+ of conduit from a pole to a manhole in Needham Street. The agenda can be found here.

The Recodification Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 15th at 8:30 a.m. in Room 205 to discuss the following: Review of Chapters 17 and 20 and other fees and fines and any other business. The agenda can be found here.

Land Use Committee: The Land Use Committee has scheduled a site visit on Thursday, August 17th at 8:00 a.m. at the gate just past 50 Tower Road (Bigelow Oil) to review the special permit application filed by Northland to rezone five parcels and to develop off-site, non-accessory, single-level parking on the parcel at 55 Tower Road to serve the existing office building at 156 Oak Street. The Notice of the Site Visit can be found here.

Land Use Committee: The Land Use Committee met on Tuesday, July 11th and voted to approve the following: a request for a special permit/site plan approval to raze and replace a two-family structure and allow a 4% reduction to the required lot area after combining lots at 19-21 Beaconwood Road, and a request for a special permit/site plan approval to demolish a portion of the rear dwelling, front porch and detached garage and construct a two-story rear addition and attached garage for more than three vehicles and in excess of 700 sq. ft. increasing the FAR to .28 where .27 is allowed and .19 exists at 164 Highland Avenue. All other items were held. The report can be found here.

Public Facilities Committee: The Public Facilities Committee met on Wednesday, July 12th and voted to approve the following: request for a grant of location to install a pole in front of 559 Centre Street and one anchor guy 100’+ in a northerly direction to upgrade
existing service, request for a grant of location to install 60’+ of conduit from
manhole 9423 in a westerly direction to provide new service to house 111 Bigelow
Road, request for a grant of location to install 37’+ of conduit in Walnut Street from manhole in a westerly direction onto Austin Street and ending at a proposed manhole in front of Philip Bram Way, and a request for a grant of location to relocate a oik approximately 57’+ westerly as part of the undergrounding of existing service, request to approve a taking of an easement at 19 – 33 Needham Street. The Committee voted No Action Necessary on the following items: request for an update on funds acquired from voluntary contributions from Special Permits in Newton Centre, which can be made available to complete a safe pedestrian crossing at 714-724 Beacon Street via
Special Permit Board Order #1-15, and a request that the Department of Public Works provide an update on the creation of a strategic plan for the improvement of streets and sidewalks in the City. The report can be found here.

Zoning and Planning Committee Report: The Zoning and Planning Committee met on Monday, July 17th and voted to approve the following: Mayor’s Appointment of Katherine Cade to the Conservation Commission, request by the Director of Planning and Development for a technical amendment to the Newton Zoning Ordinances regarding restoration of density bonus zoning incentives related to an increase in inclusionary units for residential use in Business and Mixed Use Districts which was indavertently left out of the revised ordinances. The Committee also voted No Action Necessary on a request to restructure and increase for permits charged by the Inspectional Services Department, the Planning Department and the City Clerk to ensure that the fees are sufficient to cover the costs of the services provided. All other items were held. The report can be found here.

Land Use Committee: The Land Use Committee met on Tuesday, August 8th and voted to approve the following: a request for a special permit/site plan approval to construct a two-story addition and porch to the rear and side of the house and rebuild the existing front porch, continuing the non-conforming front setback and increasing the FAR from .54 to .64 where .48 is allowed at 11 Fairview Street. All other items were held or postponed. The report can be found here.

Board of Licensing Commissioners: The Board of Licensing Commissioners will meet on August 15th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 204. The agenda can be found here.

The Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission: The Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission will meet on Wednesday, August 16h at 6:30 p.m., on Kingsbury Road to conduct a site visit to review the existing road conditions and the options for
berms and curbing. Please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at 617-796-1129 or by email at: bkurze@newtonma.gov.

Newton Board of Assessors: The Newton Board of Assessors will meet on Wednesday, August 16th at 9:00 a.m. in Room 108. The agenda can be found here.

Urban Design Commission: The Urban Design Commission originally scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 16th has been rescheduled to August 24th.

The Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission: The Chestnut Hill Historic District will on Thursday, August 17th, the Commission will meet at 7:30 p.m., in Room 205 and will discuss the following requests for a Certificate of Appropriateness: request to install curbing and edging at property located at 109 Old Orchard Road, a request to install a fence at 314 Hammond Street, Boston College, and a request to demolish the basement wing and replace a garage at 152 Suffolk Road. Please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at 617-796-1129 or by email at: bkurze@newtonma.gov.

Conservation Commission: The Conservation Commission meeting originally scheduled for August 17th has been cancelled.

The following City Council Committees are scheduled to meet this week:

Land Use Committee: The Land Use Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 8th at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and is scheduled to hold public hearings on the following: request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct a single-story rear additional extending the existing non-conforming two-family use at 893 Watertown Street, request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to use a portion of the non-conforming wholesale site to cut and fabricate stone countertops and further extending the nonconforming use at 966 Watertown Street, Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to amend a previously approved board order to allow a swing set on Lot 40 at 93 Bellevue Street, request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct a two-story addition and porch to the rear and side of the house and rebuild the existing front porch, continuing the non-conforming front setback and increase the FAR from .54 to .64 where .48 is allowed at 11 Fairview Street, request for a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct a 3-story building up to 36 feet high, allow an FAR of 1.5, waivers to parking and waivers
to the lot area per unit in a multifamily dwelling at 386-394 Watertown Street, request to rezone land currently zoned as MR 2 to Business 2 and a Special Permit/Site Plan Approval to construct elderly housing with services in excess of20,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area, consisting of 85 living units in a 4-story structure not to exceed 48’ in height and Floor Area Ratio not to exceed 2.0, and extend the existing nonconforming front setback and construct a retaining wall greater than 4’ in a setback at 431 Washington Street, 29 Hovey Street, and the adjacent unnumbered lot to the north on Hovey Street, and a request to amend Special Permit #102-06(15) at Kesseler Woods to allow relocation of the inclusionary zoning units by use of the Off-Site Development Option in conjunction with the rehabilitation of the apartment building at 219 Commonwealth Avenue resulting in an increase in the number of affordable units from the approved site of 179 Kesseler Way. The agenda can be found here.

The following other City Boards and Commissions are scheduled to meet this week:

Planning and Development Board: The Planning and Development Board is scheduled to meet on Monday, August 7th at 7:30 p.m. in Room 204 and will have a discussion and vote on Zoning Ordinance Technical Amendments (#204-17) to restore reference in the Newton Zoning Ordinance for the density bonus incentives related to an increase in inclusionary units in Business and Mixed-Use districts. For more information, please contact Rachel Powers by phone at: 617-796-1125 or by email at: rpowers@newtonma.gov.

Auburndale Historic District: The Auburndale Historic District Commission will meet on Tuesday, August 8th, at 7:00 p.m., in Room 205. The agenda includes a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install two 70-foot tall stadium light poles at 70 Studio Road, and a request to install parking lot lights at 204-220 Woodland Road, Lasell College, requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness to install parking lot lights. The agenda can be found here. For more information, please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at 617-796-1126 or by email at: bkurze@newtonma.gov and Katy Hax Holmes by phone at: 617-796-1143 or by email at: kholmes@newtonma.gov.

Economic Development Commission: The Economic Development Commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 8th at 7:30 p.m. in Room 204 and is scheduled to discuss the following: updates from the Economic Development Director, the Economic Development Commission Chair, discussion of draft food truck ordinance and discussion of expiring membership terms and re-appointments. The agenda can be found here. For more information, please contact Kathryn Ellis by phone at: 617-796-1122 or by email at: Kellis@newtonma.gov.

Community Preservation Committee: The Community Preservation Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 9th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 204 and is scheduled to discuss the New Art Center project and the pending proposal for the Newton Cemetery’s Whipple-Beal Cast Iron Fence and will hold a Public Hearing on the Newton Housing Authority’s $2 million request for its Jackson Road New Senior Housing (Haywood House)
project in Newton Corner. The agenda can be found here and the packet of information can be found here. For more information, please contact Alice Ingerson by phone at: 617-796-1144 or by email at: aingerson@newtonma.gov.

Zoning Board of Appeals: The Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 9th, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, Room 207 and discuss the following request to change the details of the projects authorized by a previously issued Comprehensive Permit to Waban AA Realty Ventures LLC for the construction of 8 rental units (6 market rate and 2 affordable) located at 1521 Beacon Street. The proposed
change is a change from rental to ownership. The purpose of this public hearing is
for the Board to review the change and make a determination on whether the project may be approved with the change. The agenda can be found here. Please contact Adrianna
Henriquez by phone at: 617-796-1133 or by email at: ahenriquez@newtonma.gov.

Design Review Committee: The Design Review Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Library Trustees Room in the Newton Free Library and is scheduled to discuss the current preliminary design for the Crescent Street project. Notice of the meeting can be found here and the agenda can be found here.

Newton Upper Falls Historic District: The Newtonville Historic District Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, August 10th at 7:00 p.m., in Room 205 and is scheduled to review a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to nstall two additional
skylights on rear roofs for property located at 2-4 Shawmut Park and a Certificate of Appropriateness to install a fence section, arbor, patio, retaining walls and walkway for property located at 20 Shawmut Park. The agenda can be found here. For more information, please contact Valerie Birmingham at 617-796-1132 or by email at: vbirmingham@newtonma.gov.

Fair Housing Committee: The Fair Housing Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 2nd t 8:00 a.m. in Room 205 and is expected to review a proposed amendment to the Kesseler Woods special permit and remove all affordable housing units to a new location on Commonwealth Avenue and will discuss the next steps for auditing for housing discrimination in Newton. For more information, please contact Malcolm Lucas by phone at: 617.796.1149 or by email at: mlucas@newtonma.gov.

Newtonville Historic District Commission: The Newtonville Historic District Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, August 3rd at 7:30 p.m. in Room 205 and will discuss the following requests for Certificate of Appropriateness: to install a landscaping wall and irrigation, to replace the front walkway, to install steps, and to change the driveway at 142 Lowell Avenue. For more information, please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at: 617-796-1129 or by email at: bkurze@newtonma.gov.